Biomaterial Database

Postmortem revelation of sickle cell disease following fatal episode of acute bronchial asthma. 2002

G Lorin de la Grandmaison, and F Paraire

Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Raymond Poincaré Hospital, University R. Descartes, Paris-Ouest, 104 Boulevard Raymond Poincaré, F-92380, Garches, France. glorin@club-internet.fr

A 19-year-old black male with previous history of mild bronchial asthma presented sudden dyspnea and died in a state of respiratory distress in spite of resuscitation attempts. Autopsy showed typical lesions of acute bronchial asthma in a context of long-standing asthma associated with a massive and disseminated intravascular sickling. Hemoglobin electrophoresis diagnosed heterozygous sickle cell disease. This rare case raises the problem of the accuracy of death certificate, especially the difficulties to distinguish postmortem lesions as the underlying cause of death or the contributory cause of death.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D002423	Cause of Death	Factors which produce cessation of all vital bodily functions. They can be analyzed from an epidemiologic viewpoint.	Causes of Death,Death Cause,Death Causes
D003645	Death, Sudden	The abrupt cessation of all vital bodily functions, manifested by the permanent loss of total cerebral, respiratory, and cardiovascular functions.	Sudden Death
D003937	Diagnosis, Differential	Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures.	Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000208	Acute Disease	Disease having a short and relatively severe course.	Acute Diseases,Disease, Acute,Diseases, Acute
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D000707	Anaphylaxis	An acute hypersensitivity reaction due to exposure to a previously encountered ANTIGEN. The reaction may include rapidly progressing URTICARIA, respiratory distress, vascular collapse, systemic SHOCK, and death.	Anaphylactic Reaction,Anaphylactoid Reaction,Anaphylactoid Shock,Shock, Anaphylactic,Anaphylactic Reactions,Anaphylactic Shock,Anaphylactoid Reactions,Reaction, Anaphylactic,Reaction, Anaphylactoid,Shock, Anaphylactoid
D000755	Anemia, Sickle Cell	A disease characterized by chronic hemolytic anemia, episodic painful crises, and pathologic involvement of many organs. It is the clinical expression of homozygosity for hemoglobin S.	Hemoglobin S Disease,HbS Disease,Sickle Cell Anemia,Sickle Cell Disease,Sickle Cell Disorders,Sickling Disorder Due to Hemoglobin S,Anemias, Sickle Cell,Cell Disease, Sickle,Cell Diseases, Sickle,Cell Disorder, Sickle,Cell Disorders, Sickle,Disease, Hemoglobin S,Hemoglobin S Diseases,Sickle Cell Anemias,Sickle Cell Diseases,Sickle Cell Disorder
D001249	Asthma	A form of bronchial disorder with three distinct components: airway hyper-responsiveness (RESPIRATORY HYPERSENSITIVITY), airway INFLAMMATION, and intermittent AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION. It is characterized by spasmodic contraction of airway smooth muscle, WHEEZING, and dyspnea (DYSPNEA, PAROXYSMAL).	Asthma, Bronchial,Bronchial Asthma,Asthmas